The New York State Association of Chiefs of Police (NYSACOP) invited former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke to be the keynote speaker at their meeting in Albany on Wednesday, May 9.
• Clarke is the “Black Rush Limbaugh with a badge,” spewing hateful white supremacist rhetoric, including referring to Black Lives Matter as the “new KKK.” (“Sheriff who likened Black Lives Matter to KKK says he will join Trump administration,” The Guardian, May 17, 2017.)
• Clarke thinks mass incarceration is a myth and wants harsher sentencing that will put more black people behind bars, for longer. Under Clarke’s watch, a 38-year-old black man with bipolar disorder died of dehydration after being denied water for six days. (“Death in county jail ruled homicide; cause of death was dehydration,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 15, 2016.)
• Clarke has said African Americans sell drugs “because they’re uneducated, they’re lazy, and they’re morally bankrupt.”
• At the Republican National Convention, he praised a Baltimore court’s decision to acquit an officer implicated in the death of Freddie Gray, who suffered severe spinal injuries in police custody.
According to a Sept.1, 2017 Washington Post article, “At least four people died in the Milwaukee County Jail between April 2015 and November 2016, including a newborn baby whose birth occurred unknown to Clarke’s staff. In another case, his staff was accused of withholding water from an inmate, who eventually died, for one week. In January, a jury awarded $6.7 million to a woman who said she was repeatedly raped by guards at the jail… He and his staff are the subject of numerous other lawsuits alleging abuse and mistreatment.”
Clarke is one reason that Black Lives Matter and other black activists are persecuted as “Black Identity Extremists,” though 62 of 85 extremist attacks since 9/11 were by far-right extremists, none by Black Lives Matter. (“A look at the data on domestic terrorism and who’s behind it,” PolitiFact, August 16, 2017.)
Because Clarke is black, white conservatives use his racist opinions to absolve themselves of racism, as if someone’s skin color makes vile statements okay. By inviting Clarke, NYSACOP validated hostility against black activists and police violence against black people. Clarke is no role model for law enforcement.
Meanwhile, here’s the blurb about him from NYSACOP’s website:
After nearly four decades in law enforcement, Sheriff David Clarke has found innovative ways to serve the public that gives him the freedom to reach millions of Americans with his message, unfiltered by the confines of holding an elected office. In addition to his dedication and focus as the Sheriff of a large metropolitan county, Clarke developed a passion for political commentary. He is fondly referred to as the “People’s Sheriff” because he has the natural ability to explain complicated national controversies in a way that everyday people can understand. He is the keynote speaker at countless events across the country, where his audience praises his no-nonsense way of promoting conservative values. He truly enjoys mobilizing everyday Americans to become more politically active and civically engaged.
As President of his new private sector venture, DAC Enterprises, Clarke has ramped up his massive social media activism, including regular communication with his nearly one million followers on Twitter. In 2017, he became Spokesman and Senior Advisor to America First Action, dedicated to supporting the Trump-Pence Administration. Most recently, he is excited to join the Capital Research Center as Chair of the American Law and Culture program where he will tackle the destructive liberal ideology of identity politics.
Sheriff Clarke is a frequent guest commentator for world renowned national news programs on issues such as the reasonable use of force by law enforcement, preserving the Second Amendment, and the complexities of immigration enforcement at the local level. Just one of his interviews, where he sparred with Don Lemon of CNN, has nearly 3.4 million views on Youtube.
In his best-selling book “Cop Under Fire” Sheriff Clarke shares experiences of his childhood and how they shaped his future, as well as articulating his unwavering defense of our nation’s police officers in a time when few had the courage to speak out.
SPEECH TOPICS:
POLICING
The Sheriff analyzes the preparedness of law enforcement in political protests and riots, and the impact of criminal justice reform in an era that has seen the rise of domestic political extremism including from groups such as Antifa and Black Lives Matter.
HOMELAND SECURITY
What is the balance between protecting the public and ensuring Constitutional rights? Clarke explores homeland security issues by analyzing the nation’s border security, dissecting criminal investigations, defending Second Amendment rights, and empowering local communities.
AMERICAN LAW & CULTURE
Have liberal policies undermined urban communities instead of helping them? Mr. Clarke discusses how decades of failed Democratic policies on public education, the justice system, and welfare have robbed black communities from economic opportunity, undermined the rule of law, and enabled families dependent on government handouts.
IDENTITY POLITICS
How does the left’s hypersensitivity and weaponization of identity politics impact American civil discourse? Urban and black communities continue to vote for Democrats, but have Democratic policies actually helped those communities? And are inner-city communities racially manipulated into voting for the same failed politicians and policies?
How’s that for demented and deluded? Dressing up racism in pseudo-intellectual language – enough to fool a fool. Huge man-crush, bros. Y’all just love that cowboy hat, don’t ya?
If your police chief is on these lists, let the chief know what you think:
NYSACOP President, Chief Michael Lefancheck, Baldwinsville Police Dept.
1st Vice President, Chief John Aresta, Malverne Police Department
2nd Vice President, Chief Patrick Phelan, Greece Police Department
3rd Vice President Chief Timothy Parisi, Ilion Police Department
Immediate Past President Chief David Zack, Cheektowaga Police Department
Snail mail: 2697 Hamburg St., Schenectady, NY 12303
Phone: 518- 355-3371 Fax: 518-356-5767
Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association: facebook.com/Westchesterpolicechiefs
Timothy Bonci – Pres. tbonci@eastchester.org – Eastchester Police Dept.
Commissioner Charles Gardner – Immediate Past Pres. – Yonkers Police Dept.
Christopher Satriale – 1st VP – Bronxville Police Department
Eric Johansen – 2nd VP – Peekskill Police Department
John Brogan – Secretary – Mount Kisco Police Department
Michael Cerone – Executive Director – Irvington Police Department
Joseph Del Bianco, (Ret) – Exec. Director Emeritus – Mamaroneck Police Dept.
Board of Directors:
Chief Emil Califano – Arsdley Police Department
Chief John Constanzo – Tuckahoe Police Department
Chief Gregory Austin – Rye Brook Police Department
Chief Anthony Tramaglini – Croton-on-Hudson Police Department
Commissioner George Longworth – Westchester County Dept. of Public Safety
Chief Joseph Benefico – Pelham Police Department
Chief Paul Oliva – Mount Pleasant Police Department
Commissioner David Chong – White Plains Police Department
Chief Andrew Matturro – Scarsdale Police Department
Chief Christopher McNerney – Greenburgh Police Department
Gregory Sullivan, Esq – Counsel
Chief John Elliott, Deputy Director